I’m A Christian And I Love Caitlyn Jenner

I am indifferent about most things that don’t concern or affect me directly, particularly celebrity culture. Sometimes I want to care and I try to, but I am more content in my sphere, where my biggest concerns are my on-going dramas, and whatever my friends are going through. I am trying to do something about this. I think in order for me to be an effective Christian, I have to care about the world around me. How can I care about issues I know nothing about? How can I pray about wars I don’t even know are happening? Given my nature, you shouldn’t be surprised that I was indifferent when I first heard that Jenner was becoming a woman.

I’m quite a ‘liberal’ Christian in that I can, and often do, accept the lifestyles of those who do not hold my religious beliefs. Acceptance does not necessitate agreement. This is a very important point to make. I do not agree with Jenner’s change. In saying that, I also don’t think it is my place to agree or disagree; Jenner is not my friend or my father. Jenner is a stranger, a public figure who made a decision. While I do not agree with his decision, I do think what he did, openly declaring his perceived gender publicly, was brave. It took immense courage. I know that if I were in his position, I would have kept silent about the matter and taken the secret to my grave. What if people laughed at me? What if my family rejected me? These fears alone would have kept me silent.

When Jenner decided to make this change, he put everything on the line, including his family. Now, just from a rational perspective, I cannot flippantly dismiss this change as whimsical. No, there was much thought, agony and fear surrounding this decision. We almost lost Jenner to suicide and that would have been an even greater tragedy. The opening words of his documentary were ‘I am still here’. Having battled various mental illnesses, I know what those words meant. They meant ‘I made it, I didn’t die, I didn’t give up, I kept going’ and anyone reading this, who knows how it feels to be overwhelmed by the darkness, would have been moved by these words.

I must admit that I don’t get it. I do not understand their experience simply because I haven’t lived it. I don’t know what it means to wake up in the morning and feel as though I am in a body that does not represent who I am. I am privileged not to have experienced this, and I think if more of us were more emphatic, and considered the psychological impact of their experience, we would be filled with greater compassion. Transgendered individuals are at risk of suicide and are often assaulted and discriminated against; they are usually also rejected by their loved ones and the fear that they will be rejected by society keeps them living in the shadows, marginalised, tortured and lonely.

I hate that. I hate there are people who feel alone, who are scared to live for fear of rejection. I hate that they are ridiculed, attacked, murdered and stoned. A study posited that there may be a death of a transgendered individual every three days. Do you know how harrowing that is? Surely we, as Christians, should be seeking ways to protect these individuals? Or do we only love people as long as their lifestyles reflect our values? Is it that once they step outside of what we consider to be normal, we stop loving them? I’m sorry but I cannot prescribe to that variant of Christianity.

I despise the way that some of us Christians, the people who are supposed to revere love above all else, have used God as a way of justifying our hatred for Jenner. Our cries have been loud and bold, yet we are far quieter on issues that we battle with – you know, gossiping, abstaining from sex and trying to stay sober at the raves we aren’t even sure we are meant to be at.

“Those sins aren’t as bad” you say.

Well, yes. They are.

I wonder if we will ever be as intolerant of drunkenness, gossip and premarital sex as we are of homosexuality and transgenderism. I wonder if we will condemn our friends and family members, whose lifestyles are equally despicable in the sight of God, in the same manner that we have condemned Jenner.

I do not believe that God hates Jenner. I think God loves Jenner regardless of how he presents himself. If what I read in my Bible is true, then there’s nothing that can separate him from God’s love (Jenner identifies as a Christian and is religious). I do not think my opinion is very popular one amongst Christians. I’m sure other Christians will question the depth of my Christianity as result of this article. I probably should have included scriptures in this post to substantiate my views but I don’t want to abuse or manipulate scripture – these are just my views.

I love Caitlyn Jenner; I love her because she is human, because she is flawed, just as I am. I love her because I’d rather a living Caitlyn than a dead Bruce. I pray for her, that she finds the peace that eluded her as Bruce, and that she continues to connect with Jesus, someone who loved her as Bruce and continues to love her as Caitlyn. I know that he can heal whatever she feels is broken and give her the love and acceptance she needs.

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6 thoughts on “I’m A Christian And I Love Caitlyn Jenner”

I think this was very well written. I hold the same view of love thy neighbour. Yes there are things that I do not agree with however, who am I to judge. I’m sure I have said and done things that others would deem as not “Christian” or “right” etc. When it is all said and done we all have to answer to God. What others do in their life is their personal business. If it does not effect me then why should I concern myself with it. I feel that I have my own battles to deal with on a daily basis such as being a black woman in a white male dominated society. If someone wants to change their gender then so be it. Each to there own. I treat people how I would want to be treated. So if people do not like you post or share you perspective then that’s their perogative however, you are not alone.

I think you’d seriously struggle to find true Christians who actually ‘hate’ people like Jenner. In today’s culture, what is simply a disapproval of homosexuality or transgenderism is often taken as hatred, abuse or homophobia. The moment a Christian utters anything by way of disagreement with such a lifestyle, he or she is automatically frowned upon. Such a person, though, is only standing steadfastly by what they believe.

We should be loving towards all individuals. However, because of what the bible says, there has to be an extent to that love. It cannot be a love that tolerates their sexuality (as seems to be suggested in this article). As important as it may be, our primary concern from a biblical viewpoint should not and cannot be to protect to these individuals; our primary concern is to tell them the truth. That is true biblical love.

Homosexuality was punishable by death in Old Testament law – such was the heinousness of the crime. Though he identifies as a christian, it is therefore very hard to defend that from the bible. Jesus wouldn’t have tolerated Jenner. Neither should we.

I was just having a similar conversation with a friend today but this was on the legalisation of homosexuality in the USA. A friend says it is morally wrong but I asked him, who defines morals? Yes I understand that there are Biblical implication of all these which I entirely subscribe to, as such I would not tolerate or be friends with a person who decides he loves someone who is of the same sex with him or a transgender, however, I will not hate on such person as the person has decided to choose his own part. According to my Bible, no sin is lesser, the man who is a homosexual and the man who lies/fornicates will get thesame judgement eventually, all sin is sin. As far as I am concerned, no one can exactly interprete the Bible completely, everyone has a special relationship with God.
Having said that, I beg to differ on @Folarins position on if Jesus would have tolerated Caithlyn were he to be still on earth, I do not think you are in a position to decide what Jesus would have accepted or not. ‘My same Bible says he forgave the woman who committed adultery, He said ‘I do not condemn you, go and sin no more’. God will forever be merciful, as long as we come to him with a contrite heart and truly repentant spirit. Let’s all be objective in our judgement.

I agree with a lot of the thing law ritten but I, in agreement with Folarin have observed that once you disagree with someone iit’s termed as hatred. God doesn’t hate the sinner but He hates sin. I hate sin as well. I love Jenner but it doesn’t mean I can’t hate what was done. However, I can also understand that a lot of people do the things they do based on a lot of factors. The best we can do is pray for then in love.
The issue of the homosexuality laws is just funny. Yes, it’s not my business if two men or women marry themselves but I can have my views on it being wrong. A cake factory is still under lock and key in the US because they refused to bake a cake for a gay couple who asked them to print ‘I support gay marriage’ on the cake. When the operator was asked she said if 2 gays people come to eat cake in their shop, they’d serve them but when it comes to marriage, she’d have to say no as she wouldn’t feel good afterwards as she’d have offended her conscience. America termed that as hatred. And her shop is still locked. That’s wrong.
I should be able to have my views and not offend it. It’s business. She was willing to lose a customer because of her believe, she already lost, so you find another case factory that will be willing.
In South Carolina, preachers must submit their sermon notes to the government on Friday to look at what they are preaching and strike out what they shouldn’t. What’s that? A lot of things are just wrong with America and we should be bold enough to say what’s wrong. It doesn’t mean we hate the people, in fact it’s becausewe love them. Yes, there will be those who will speak hate and even curse, we know that doesn’t represent Christ. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery that He doesn’t condemn her but He also asked her to go and sin no more.